Brig. Gen. Sean Crockett, Eighth Army’s acting commander, receives a floral decoration during a ceremony for the renovated rotational Stryker brigade headquarters building at Camp Hovey, South Korea, June 16, 2025. (Stanley James/U.S. Army)
The U.S. Army reopened the headquarters of its rotational brigade in South Korea on Monday following a $2.2 million renovation aimed at improving conditions for soldiers stationed near the border with North Korea.
The 13-month project at Camp Hovey, about 15 miles from the Demilitarized Zone, marks the first major update to the building since its construction in 2003, the service said in an opening-day news release.
Much of the renovation focused on reshaping and leveling the surrounding land and improving drainage systems to mitigate flooding during South Korea’s summer typhoon season, according to the release. Additional upgrades were made to the facility’s plumping, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
Engineers from the Directorate of Public Works designed the renovation in-house over a six-week period, rather than outsourcing the plans, said Todd Hill, engineering and services division chief at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey.
“Doing it this way is more work, but there are also a lot of benefits that come with it,” he said in the release. “For example, this project was about 80% cheaper to do since we did a lot of things ourselves and it also gives our commander more flexibility to manage and control things at the local level.”
A worker paints the wall of the rotational Stryker brigade headquarters building at Camp Hovey, South Korea, May 14, 2025. (Stanley James/U.S. Army)
The U.S. paid for the project, 2nd Infantry Division spokesman Maj. Steven Modugno said by email Tuesday.
The headquarters serves as the operational hub for the Army’s rotational unit in South Korea, which trains and supports deterrence efforts in nine-month deployments.
The rotational brigade program began in 2013 as part of a broader effort to bolster the defense of South Korea. The units report to the 2nd ID, headquartered at Camp Humphreys, the largest U.S. military base overseas, about 40 miles south of Seoul.
On Wednesday, approximately 3,500 soldiers from the 1st Stryker Bridge Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colo., will begin their rotation, replacing troops from 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
During their rotation, the incoming soldiers will train alongside South Korean forces at Camp Casey, adjacent to Hovey, and at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, where Stryker vehicles conduct maneuvers over rugged terrain.
